The Baltic ë-preterit revisited

Abstract

As it is well known, the Baltic preterit suffixes *- - and *- - are in complementary distribution in modern Lithuanian. With few exceptions, they are entirely predictable from the present and/or the infinitive stem1. Modern standard Latvian has generalized the -preterit to all verbs, but the oldest documents and the dialects offer clear evidence showing that the distribution of *- - and *- -preterits of modern Lithuanian continues with minor modifications that of Common East Baltic and, presumably, that of Common Baltic altogether